


flaming hot cheetos

by mattboyd



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Self-Indulgent, andrew plays animal crossing to cope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24663985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattboyd/pseuds/mattboyd
Summary: andrew has a bad day and he finds the little things to help him.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 95





	flaming hot cheetos

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write andrew playing animal crossing  
> title is from the song of the same name by clairo because i was listening to it while writing :'D

This was not going the way he planned.

Last night, he was entirely prepared to wake up the next morning, make breakfast for him and Neil, prepare food for the cats, and sit down at his desk for the next few hours to write. He was fully determined to get his first draft sent in by this weekend.

But.

Something in his head was stopping him. It was like gravity weighing down a thousand times more heavy, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He hasn't had one of these days in a while.

He's currently laying on his back on his side of the bed by the wall, staring up at the ceiling. He's memorized the pattern and texture of it by now. He's been there for about ten minutes, ever since he woke up. 

The cats are laying at both of his sides, fur tickling against his inner arms. He places a hand in each of the tangled knots and combs them, the touch grounding him once again. They were useful, sometimes. They've become a comfortable presence in his life after these last few years. More reasons to live for, he thinks.

Neil walks back into the room to stare at him by the door, arms crossed and eyes softly looking upon him. His hair is tussled everywhere and his pajamas are baggy on his frame. He looks beautiful and like out of one of Andrew's dreams, with the sunlight shining in on him from the window. He feels like he'll never get used to this.

He breathes in deep and begins to sit up, the cats meowing at him angrily for disturbing their sleep. He lets a smile slip onto his lips; they remind him of Neil during the times when they've stayed out particularly late for a game and had to wake up early the morning after for practice again. 

He scratches his head and grumbles sleepily, "Is there coffee?"

Neil laughs and uncrosses his arms, making his way over to him. "Of course there is." He bends down to place a gentle kiss on his head, breathing in his scent. Neil looks down into his eyes, his own sparkling bright, and Andrew feels like his world centers just a bit again. "Is it bad today?"

Andrew swallows, looking down at Sir and King, who are once again in deep sleep. "Yeah."

Neil nods in understanding. Lately, he's been having those days as well. They're both healing, but that doesn't mean the process won't have relapses. 

"One, two, or three?"

A couple months ago, they settled in on code words for days when they didn't have the words for what they were feeling, but they needed to tell the other on what was exactly okay. They decided on the system after struggling for a while on Andrew becoming triggered just by a comforting touch from Neil, even though it wasn't intended, of course. It was just the workings of his brain.

One was for get away from me entirely, two was to stay but at a distance, and three was for the other to be right at their side. It started to actually work out well for them. It was good on the days where air was completely caught in their throats, and they didn't have strength to push it out.

"I think...two."

"You think, or you know?"

Andrew slightly glares at the teasing smile Neil is giving him, but he feels lighter anyway.

"Okay, smartass. Yes, two. For now."

Neil's grin gets bigger, and in turn Andrew's heart gets tighter, and for a minute he's able to forget the darkness that lies just at the edges of his mind.

"I'll start on breakfast then? And you can do whatever you need to do, to feel okay."

His stomach basically growls in response, which Neil laughs at. Andrew huffs and stands up to stretch, hands above his head and shirt lifting up to reveal a patch of skin. He can feel Neil looking down at the space, but of course he makes no move to touch. He's grateful.

"Yeah. That sounds good to me."

The smell of pancakes fills the air with sweetness and makes Andrew's mouth water as he lays on the couch, Nintendo Switch in hand, cats at his feet. Right now he's trying to catch a fish for Marshal per request, as he is not one to deny him of anything. Fishing in Animal Crossing soothes his soul; he feels like he doesn't need to think about anything when he plays this game. He can just blank out and focus on what's on the screen in front of him, with the calm music playing in the background. It's bliss.

Nicky did not stop bothering him about the game for the next two weeks after he found out he played, but Andrew was _determined_ to get Dom and he needed help. He refused to ask outright, but it was more like a sideways question when he texted his cousin for a weekly 'checkup'.

_nicky. what would you do if you had dom_

_OASDMANDJDKFN HOW DO YOU KNOW DOM????? ANDREW??? DO YOU PLAY ANIMAL CROSNSJNCJSD_

He continued to spam him with keysmashes and emojis for the entire hour. Andrew doesn't regret it though, as he contentedly walks through his island with all of his favorite villagers.

The memory makes him smile, and he forgets all the bad feelings he's holding in his chest at the moment. Nightmares make him dizzy, out of place and all around irritated; it was hard to get through the day without feeling like he was on some sick rollercoaster. It was never-ending.

Bee has helped him find alternatives lately, though. Rather than turning to smoking, he sucks very angrily on lollipops to get his mind off of the bad. He focuses on the feeling and the flavor, even though he aches for a cigarette. 

Usually, during times like now, he would be craving for one in his hand. In that moment he was calm, snuggled in blankets and Neil's hoodie; he's surrounded by him and their bastard cats and everything feels so at _home_ it gives Andrew a different kind of dizzy. A good dizzy.

Breaking him out of his thoughts, Neil settles his arms around the back of the couch, looking down at him. Of course, there's that smile, _the one he loves so much_ , shining down on him.

"Seeing your other twin?"

Neil thinks it's funny to joke about how Marshal looks like Andrew. "Ha. Ha. Funny. Go away."

"I was just telling you breakfast was done. For shame."

He hums and moves his feet from underneath the fur balls that are the cats, then makes his way over to the kitchen, Neil following behind.

Grabbing a stack of wonderfully brown pancakes, he pours an uncomfortable amount of syrup on top of them. Neil has gotten used to his liking towards sweets, but that doesn't mean he'll ever be alright with it. His face is twisted in disgust as he shoves his own bite of food into his mouth.

Andrew will always find it hilarious, but he doesn't say anything. He drowns it in the maple goodness and almost inhales it in fervor.

This has become their usual. _It's home_.

He's made his way back to the couch after they finished eating, once again in his cocoon, as Neil finishes up washing dishes. He unlocks his phone and opens up Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, doing his daily requests. Sure, it can be repetitive, but it was familiar and safe and that's what he needed in that moment.

He hears Neil turn off the water faucet, then slowly make his way over to where he was laying. Sitting down on the other side of the couch at his feet, Neil places the cats down on the floor to make room for him. They meow at him, once again angry that their sleep was interrupted. Andrew almost laughs at the sight.

It's like Neil senses it, because he looks at him in the corner of his eye and smiles. It's like he just always _knows_ what he's thinking and how to handle it. It's terrifying.

But it's one thing that he will forever love about him.

Andrew coughs. "Three."

Neil stares at him. "Three?"

He rolls his eyes. "Three."

He moves over onto his side, making space for Neil behind him and holds open the blanket. Neil looks like he wants to break out into a huge grin, but he holds back with a quiver of his mouth. He gently slides over into the space, settling beside him and wrapping a tentative arm around his waist. His nose tickles his neck and Andrew tries not to break out into a blush.

"This okay?"

The hot air of his breath almost makes him shiver, but his mind has a sense of serenity around it. Nothing can break this bubble.

"I'm okay."

**Author's Note:**

> I like writing andrew povs ok  
> <3


End file.
